Finally on another wrist... must see pics :)

[Nightwatch]

Thx to Repwatch´s extraordinary post of his unique wonderful piece I started to admire this watch and got really into this but could neither afford the gen nor build a Franken. First I looked at the Marina Militare but than destiny struck and I found a solution, so after many sleepless nights and one month visiting the above post I happily present to You, in the most unconventional way, serious Purists beware (I love and I am into vintage, no seriousness intended here, this is a hommage), an addition to my fast-growing collection:

 

 

the famous PAM203 (2005), originally with vintage Angelus movement, only available to some 150 selected few. Just look how the golden hands, specially the small second hand reflect the sun on the glass from the inside:)

This 47 mm stainless steel case with a sandwich chocolate/grey dial is historically correct and simply magnificent! The gold hands, sub second hand and logo's " Luminor Panerai" and "8 Giorni Brevattato" 8 giorni means 8 days and brevettato means patented, referring to the original sixty year old and large sized, handwound  Angelus SF calibre 240, 8 days power reserve, give this watch character that no other watch has... or ever will have again.

Here is the famous and still ultra-secret Panerai-secret: “how to make modern USD out of old italian lire trick”: (Research from Dadog13: Mr. Ferretti sold them to Panerai in the 1996 - 190 pieces // each priced 110.000 lire italiane (about 60 usd each in 1996)  http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/99316-nos-angelus-sf240-pam203pam267/   link with sublink). Et voilà: Today possibly worth 110.000 Usd.

The patented device protecting and locking the crown tops this watch off. CG lever points upwards. Both versions were made, with downpointing CG also. Of course it has Reg. Tm. engraved in the crown guard.

 

Dial: brown, with luminous hour markers and Arabic numerals. It consists of two superimposed discs: the top one is perforated with the numerals and hour markers while the lower one was covered with a thin layer of Super Luminova Small seconds at 9 o'clock on the left and the legendary 8 Giorni Brevettato symbol painted in white near the 3´position complete the balance.

 

DIMENSIONS: 47mm x 13.5mm  WEIGHT: 126 grams

Vintage Mods (here is where the fun part really starts):

 

Crystal: removed the original sapphire, made from corundum, 2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating. Replaced with Plexiglas. the Plexy gives a superb look, very warm, to the whole watch, and especially the dial. The gold dials reflect on it. Tried to catch the fantastic domed shape and the reflecting edges of the huge Plexiglas in sunlight. Also close look onto the sandwich dial of this Vintage Panerai in the pics. The “Open Six” carries the DNA of the brand from the 1930s until today.

Crown-lock: applied some vintage rust, than applied the gluegun trick to make it feel more hefty and solid; tried to replace the crown with a vintage Rolex seadweller crown but it did not fit with the CG-mechanism so had to remove it again. Rolex actually made all vintage Panerai watches, from 1936 through 1956 (Jake Ehrlich).

Movement: first removed the vintage 8 days Angelus SF 240 movement (cost of just 60 USD back in the nineties) because it had only 15 rubis and was very lowbeat at only 18.000 bhp; the Angelus powered divers where used by Panerai in the 50´s and 60´s but I wanted to go more to the Rolex-made Style of the 30´s and 40´s.  So because of the Rolex connection I replaced it with a more gen-like Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 with some dust in it. 

Both where antique and HANDWOUND, so finally decided to put a more modern automatic movement in:

MOVEMENT:  Asian 21j automatic, keeps perfect time now! Greatest power reserve I have in a 21j also! Just don´t look at it.

 

Solid case back: After changing the movement couldn´t stand the looks of the 21j, so the see-through sapphire glass had to go and  was replaced with a nice, solid SS caseback (not yet engraved with a pig-torpedo and “Kampfschwimmer” – lettering and dating of probably 1944 which I will do with a Dremel, but already well-brushed with steel wool) 

 

Water resistance: after modding: tested to 0,00 metres (originally 100 metres); waterproofing to at least 200 ATM intended   

Lume: the original Superluminova applied to the sandwich dial looked too bright for the look of a 73 year old watch. Different to the “Luminor” substance used in later produced watches and instruments, “Radiomir” , patented 1915 by Guido Panerai (he did not know then it was a million more times radioative than uranium and that it has a half-life of 1602 years, neither did Marie Curie) does not react instantly under the impact of light anymore in 2013, here is a vintage sample of a "Kampfschwimmer" - combat diver: oh, this didn´t work....

so the Superluminova was scratched off this pam PAM 203 to give it a more vintage look. Once the human eye has been in total darkness for a couple of hours, the remaining glow of the simulated “Radiomir” substance now becomes visible.

Strap: Ordered an original vintage 8 Giorni Brevettato symbol, authentic hand made WWII Ammo strap made from 65 year old army leather pouches and José Maria over in Spain promised it would be ready for me this week, making this package complete and spectacular!

 

Time is what prevents everything from happening at once . ~ John Archibald Wheeler

 

Thx to Torobravos this time: Got this original “as is” in a perfect service from him, it’s a fun watch more than expected and got that nice strap on it until the vintage arrives: Enjoy the pics! Finally some lume-shots as requested of my hefty PAM 193 Tuna-Can (on the left) also

 

Hope You had as much fun reading as I had writing for the Forum. A big thanks to You all and RWG and what I´ve learned  just browsing around here. Any addition and comment Welcome:)

[ogladio]

Looks really good on you! Plexi change was a good upgrade. Nice to hear about your movement swaps btw

[repwatch]

AWESOME.  LOVE THE DIAL/LUME!!  VERY COOL.  THANKS NW.....really like it....

 

(also enjoyed the title of the thread.... :-)

[Nightwatch]

Revisited - this originally simple PAM has seen a lot of action meanwhile, run´s strong and reliable as ever and with it´s gilt hands is really a joy to wear.

Another lume-shot, b&w pic and today´s vintage photo shoot with saturated colours added:)

 

 

 

 

[Nightwatch]

Updating this with a few recent pics

[kgvertu]

Beautiful thin, really is and an awesome write up with nice links!

 

I was slightly confused by the first paragraph though. You said you couldn't afford gen or Franken but then destiny struck? What do you mean? Was it a rep for sale?

 

Lovely modifications.